Construction progressing on Prichard intermodal facility

PRICHARD, W.Va. — State transportation officials say work is progressing on schedule on a new intermodal facility in Wayne County. The Heartland Intermodal Gateway at Prichard has the potential to be a sizeable inland port.

“This is another tool in our tool box,” said Doug York, director of the West Virginia Port Authority. “Not only do we have train loader facilities, we have intermodal facilities if you need to move goods to the East Coast or to the West Coast.”

File photo

The Heartland Intermodal Gateway remains under construction in Wayne County.

Companies with coast to coast shipping needs are the target clientele as the state develops uses for the facility now being built. A company can unload ships at an East Coast harbor, truck them to West Virginia and have them loaded on a train bound for California. The project would also be attractive to an East Coast manufacturer who ships products to the western United States.

“About one in every five vehicles on the road is a commercial vehicle now,” York said. “It’s very difficult to come up with a method to reduce those and allow our highways to last longer. Intermodal facilities do that and reduce the commercial traffic on the road.”

The shipping via rail or in some cases barge is also the cheaper way to go for some products.

York said the target date for completion is 2015 and they are presently going to national trade shows and seeking out potential clients who could use the facility.

“What the future holds is very positive for these types of facilities,” said York. “There may be other locations we look at in the future, depending on what the market bares and needs.”

Chris Lawrence

Chris Lawrence is the anchor of the MetroNews Morning News, heard weekday mornings from 6-9 a.m. on MetroNews stations across West Virginia. Chris is also the host of the award-winning West Virginia Outdoors, heard Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. across the network. Chris has won numerous awards for coverage of hunting and fishing.

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Comments

Lynn Cline

how far in prichard does this go! Where are the maps.Will it take the plants in prichard wv !

August 4, 2014 at 8:00 pm |

blugldmn

I guess they don't have a problem with the highways between WV and the east coast being congested with truck traffic, ? Just points west if WV?
Hmmm
Guess they also don't know that intermodal facilities exist in or near most every east coast port facility.

Why would I pay to truck something to WV to load on a train when I could load it on a train in Baltimore?

Business's answer questions like these before investing in such infrastructure.

Dimwits at the state development office obviously don't , they are not spending their own money either!!!!

November 18, 2013 at 5:41 pm |

blugldmn

Curly must work in the regional development office..

November 18, 2013 at 5:35 pm |

Curly Joe

What a positive, well thought-out project for this part of the state! As the coal industry continues to suffer, other regional development authorities should be looking at long term projects like this to take West Virginia into the next economic phase.
Great Job!

November 18, 2013 at 8:30 am |

blugldmn

We've had several intermodal facilities over the years .... Their primary shipment was coal.

There is a facility near front royal va so Im not sure of the need for this one.